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THE VOYAGE OF THE FIRST HESSIAN 

ARMY FROM PORTSMOUTH 

TO NEW YORK 



Heartman's Historical Series No. 3 



THE VOYAGE 

OF 

The First Hessian Army 

FROM PORTSMOUTH TO NEW YORK 
1776 

a. 7- 



One hundred and ten Copies printed for 
CHAS. FRED. HEARTMAN. New York City 



-p6-3 



i-'H. 



The following Historical Sketch is a translation 
from the German of A. Pfister. It was published 
some fifty years ago in a German periodical and is 
interesting enough to be reprinted in English as it 
contains hitherto very little known details of this 
voyage. At the end will be found an Extract from 
the Diary of the German Poet and Adventurer, J. G. 
Seume, a Hessian Soldier and Participator on the 
Voyage. 

January, 1915 

Ch. F. H. 



Number of 110 copies printed. 

Also six printed on Japan Vellum. 



The troops belonging to the first Hessian Division 
had as yet not all been assembled in the harbor of 
Portsmouth, for, on account of the lack of transport 
ships, General von Mirbach with his regiment and 
that of Commander Rail, a Knyphausen Company, 
and a part of the Commissariat still remained at 
Bremerlehe, when the fleet was ready and the wind 
often long in coming, was just then very favorable to 
leave the channel. Then a rather peculiar circum- 
stance occurred to prevent the start. Heister, the 
Hessian Commander-in-Chief, refused to start, feel- 
ing bound by the land grave's express orders to keep 
all his divisions together. The king became exceed- 
ingly impatient, for the delay set an incalculable 
amount at stake — at last the Hessian minister at 
London, General von Schlieffen, took upon himself 
the responsibility of this urgent matter, and Heister, 
with a spirit of true faithfulness to service, went over 
with his Hessian troop ships to the remaining squad- 
ron at anchor at St. Hellens in the immediate vicinity. 

The fleet as gathered here numbered 100 sailing 
vessels, among which were 2 men-of-war with 50 
cannons, 4 frigates of 36 cannons, and 2 fire-ships for 
the protection of the transports and provision ships. 
These vessels carried in all about 12,500 land troops, 
of which the 7400 Hessians were distributed in 52 



ships. William Hotham, their Commodore, was on 
the man-of-war Preston. When the ship captains 
had received from him the signaling directions and 
their sealed instructions (which may be opened only- 
after a ship has sailed in order to learn its desti- 
nation), he gave the signals to weigh anchor and to 
sail by means of a cannon shot and the displaying of 
a flag. This was on the evening of the 6th of May. 

Very soon an adverse and violent storm arose, the 
sea became turbulent and there was much seasick- 
ness. No one could stand upright in the cabins, 
everything was tossed about pell-mell and sailors fell 
overboard and could not be saved; yet the fleet by 
the evening of the 9th was sailing with calmer 
weather through the dangerous region of the Scilly 
Islands, where, over a mass of rocks and reefs a 
warning lighthouse stood. After sunset the last 
land was seen to disappear under the horizon, the 
promontory, Landsend. On the next day the cables, 
which usually are on the capstan, were coiled on 
deck; still greater waves, and more violent motions 
of the ship indicated that the vessels had reached the 
great ocean. Who may be the master of the ocean 
was made evident during the very next few days to 
the astonished soldiers, when a Danish and later two 
Swedish East Indian ships were passing through the 
fleet; these then lowered their flags and a sail of the 
middle mast, as soon as they were within the distance 
of a shot. This was the mark of esteem which every 

10 



foreign ship on meeting an English man-of-war or 
squadron in the x\tlantic Ocean was to render to it, 
as indicating the recognition of Great Britain's sov- 
ereignty there. 

A perfect calm had set in; the great waves rose to 
an astonishing height, and, although at a time of 
wind and full sail, the vibrations of the ships are 
lessened by the quick forward motion, yet in calm 
the opposite is true, for the ships were heaving and 
pitching, so that there seemed to be danger of com- 
plete capsizing, or at any rate of the loss of the masts. 
In the darkness of night the foam sparkled on the 
ships and at times the lightning flashed and quivered 
on the waves. Several ships had already met with 
accidents, in getting badly damaged by running 
against each other, and in some the constant pump- 
ing out of water was made necessary. The ship 
Good Intent ran with its prow into the stern of the 
Claudina, on which there was a company of the 
regiment von Knyphausen under Lieutenant Baum, 
and to the great anguish and cry of the crew and 
troops made a great hole over the cabin. The ship 
Speedwell, on which there was Lieutenant- Colonel 
Block with the Grenadier-Company of the Prince 
Karl regiment drew so much water that it seemed 
doomed to sink. Accordingly signals of distress 
were hoisted, the Commodore signaled the fleet to 
halt and by means of several boats had the ship 
thoroughly investigated. It became evident that 

11 



there was no immediate danger, and that, with con- 
stant use of the pumps, the Speedwell could continue 
the voyage. 

On the 20th of May a strong wind suddenly arose 
(simply good fresh air as the sailors said), but the 
water became rough, the waves struck over the decks, 
and all fires were ordered to be put out; porpoises 
made their appearance in great numbers, the sight of 
which was cheering especially to the officers who shot 
at them; little was it supposed by them then that 
these porpoises were but the forerunners of an 
approaching storm. On the 25th the whole sky 
became clouded over with dark and heavy clouds, 
the air became close and sultry, and the Commodore 
had shots fired frequently as a signal to prevent the 
scattering of the ships. The wind and waves became 
more violent from hour to hour during the night of 
the 25th to the 26th, and on Whitsunday the full 
force of the storm was felt. The Commodore gave 
the signal to draw in all sails except one and to 
remove the uppermost parts of the masts. The 
ships were being scattered far apart. In the cabins 
all articles, though tied fast, were broken loose and 
were thrown helter-skelter, the occupants likewise, 
many with bruised limbs, and there was no end to the 
spells of seasickness and of misery made ridiculous. 
The storm was ever growing worse. On the second 
day the last sail was drawn in, and the rudder bound 
fast, so that now the ship was left to its fate. The 

12 



raging sea was playing with the gigantic structure of 
the ships as with a toy; sailors were swallowed up by 
the waters, others committed suicide and soldiers 
who ventured to go on deck fell down unconscious 
because of the force of the waves. Only one conso- 
lation remained, namely, the clarified atmosphere; 
but on the third day of Whitsuntide dark gloomy 
clouds and torrents of rain darkened the whole firma- 
ment, the winds seemed to be let loose, sounding like 
roaring thunder, all nature seemed to have united in 
bringing to young America a terrible funeral feast. 
While thousands are pleading here for the protection 
of Heaven a furious wrathful indignation rages in the 
American pulpit scattering its curses and, praying to 
God and the Savior, dedicates the fleet to destruction. 
With a loud and deafening roar the huge waves 
wash over the ships; the decks and every port-hole 
had to be made extra tight. The soldiers were lying 
in the lower compartments as if buried alive in cof- 
fins, gasping in the darkness after air and water; 
from moment to moment the most of them, quiet and 
depressed, expected to go out of this dark night into 
the eternal day of heaven. Still on the next day the 
storm was raging and the heavy sea also continued, 
and this threatened to break the ships to pieces; but 
the clouds broke, the great downfall of rain ceased, 
the air became clear, the wind subsided, and in the 
evening at 10 o'clock the storm had stopped entirely 
— only the seething waters were still roaring and 

13 



placed the ships in even greater danger. It was not 
until the morning of the 30th that this violent sea had 
spent its fury; sound sleep reinvigorated exhausted 
nature; and when the soldiers and sailors awoke to 
the beautiful day and looked out upon the glittering, 
smooth, quiet sea, and saw how little by little the 
ships drew closer together, they each and everyone 
felt as if they had awakened to a new day of creation. 
The kitchen fires were again glowing, the kettles 
were steaming, the provisions, clothing and bed 
linen, all so thoroughly wet through, were dried, 
everywhere repairs were undertaken, the masts were 
again properly set up, and the sails spread; on the 
decks praises to God were sung with fervent feelings 
of gratitude in devout meetings of prayer. 

The religious, sympathetic feelings certainly pre- 
vail in the deeply rooted piety of our (Hessian) 
people. It was customary on all ships that as often 
as the weather and the motion of the vessel permitted 
it, a prayer meeting should be held every morning 
and every evening and a preaching service on Sun- 
days. Though not obliged to attend, yet one could 
regularly see the soldierly religious congregation 
assembled, standing with uncovered heads and filled 
with devotion, drawn thither by the inner voice of 
conscience. If the sea were rough then one could 
hear the people from their resting places starting up 
religious hymns. Communion with God was neces- 
sary for the soul; more urgently did the present 

14 



remind of eternity, and the very recent past give 
grounds for gratitude. The ordinary man had in 
lieu of other songs learned to sing his religious hymns 
at school, and he sang these even during his march 
against the enemy. It was not a book of epic poems 
that accompanied him on his expeditions, it was a 
small book of prayer, which even now is a chief con- 
stituent part of the small bookshops of the Hessian 
peasant-folk, so precious to him because of the divine 
power of its influence, to his mind a pure, old, genu- 
ine " Jesus wine. " This was the well known ''Haber- 
manchen,'' the epic poem and the private chapel of 
the warrior as well as of the serving man. And not 
alone with the exalted spectacle of divine omnipo- 
tence on the furious or rapturous sea — but even in 
the camps and quarters the masses of soldiers did not 
neglect public worship any more than they neglected 
a simple military duty. So with the ancient fear of 
God of the patriarchs in their hearts the Hessian 
people landed on the soil of America. 

The dispersion of the fleet had obliged a halt of 
three days, during which time the frigates sailed in all 
directions, collecting the ships by means of cannon 
shots, yet this was not entirely successful; fifteen 
battered ships had opened their sealed orders and 
had sailed on ahead to Halifax, the goal designated 
therein. The contrary winds prevented the advance 
of the fleet. It appeared in great grandeur on the 
4th of June; this was the birthday of King George III. 

15 



In unusual splendor did the day shine, on all vessels 
the red English flag was waving, on all war ships and 
all frigates, twenty-one cannon shots resounded at 
noon and the transport ships were only too glad to 
follow with their joyful celebrations. But on the 
ship Unanimity an unfortunate pistol shot was fired 
in the morning. A captain of the life-guards. Count 
von der Lippe, offended one of his subordinates. 
Lieutenant Kleinschmidt, because he, though acci- 
dentally, had caused his dog to give a cry of pain, and 
with coarse words demanded an immediate pistol 
duel without witnesses. The lieutenant gave his oppo- 
nent a mortal wound. The one was descended from 
a sovereign house, the other of humble civil origin, 
yet according to the ancient chivalrous views, which 
at all times prevail in the military profession, they 
were equals. The court-martial, also in consequence 
thereof, acquitted the lieutenant. This is the pro- 
ceeding followed in accordance with all proper army 
regulations: the highest officer next to the count takes 
the lieutenant's sword, places a sentinel over him, 
made a request, by means of a speaking-trumpet, of 
the commodore, whose ship fortunately was quite 
near, for a clever English surgeon (as the Hessian 
Army generally had but few well qualified army 
surgeons) and then takes a boat to the ship Elizabeth 
to make a report to the Lieutenant- General. Im- 
mediately a court-martial is ordered. Lieutenant 
Kleinschmidt, under arrest, is taken to the ship of 

16 



the staff of the regiment, and the staff -surgeon-major 
and the chief staff-chaplain were sent to the count. 
The former could do nothing except to leave the 
dying man to the services of the latter. In prayer 
with the chaplain, during which time a religious ser- 
vice was being held on deck, the count departed this 
life. Thereupon the adjutants of the general took an 
inventory of the effects of the deceased, an autopsy 
was held to determine the cause of death, then, 
dressed in his military suit, placed into a hammock 
weighted down with stone, and sewed in white can- 
vas, without any further formality, his body was 
consigned to the sea. 

Dense fogs had fallen; in order to keep the ships 
together frequent shots were fired from the commo- 
dore's ship; the danger of knocking against one 
another was unavoidable. The ships, Happy Jean- 
ette and Henrietta, because of the carelessness on the 
part of the former^ ran against each other at a time 
when the winds were strong and the sails were set 
full, so that the latter very nearly capsized, and, 
hard-pressed by the former, could not again right 
itself. On all faces there was the picture of death; 
and panic arose. The soldiers of the regiment von 
Ditfurth, driven to despair, endeavored to leap upon 
the Jeanette and those of the regiment Prince Karl 
tried to save their lives on the Happy, and only with 
difficulty were they prevented from doing an act of 
foolhardiness which would have cost the lives of 

17 



many. After repeated knocks the two ships were 
finally parted; in the Henrietta a great hole had been 
made — only one foot lower down and in a few min- 
utes nothing more would have been seen of the ship. 
There were on this ship Captain von Malsburg, the 
Lieutenants von Ditfurth, von Malsburg, von 
Bardeleben, and Ensign von Schachten. , 

A new drama took place soon after the 10th of 
June. A frigate brought the orders to set all ships 
and cannon in defensive condition; an East Indian 
ship had reported the proximity of many American 
privateers. One of these had even been captured. 
The Hessian officers thereupon set all cannon in order 
and arranged for the distribution of the men in the 
case of an attack. The commodore remained now 
in the middle of the fleet, a frigate had to stay at the 
head in his place, and the others had to be all the 
more active, everywhere in the fleet, as commodore's 
messengers, to keep up the order and to search every 
strange vessel. Even the transport vessels received 
orders in case they should discover a strange vessel 
to display a red flag at the stern of the ship until the 
commodore by means of a similar signal has indicated 
that he has taken cognizance of the information. 
Almost to the very tops of the masts the guards on 
watch could be seen. More frequently than ever the 
stragglers now received the usual warning (always 
with a fine of money imposed), namely, several 
sharp cannon shots which struck close to them. The 

18 



same was the case with those ships which sailed too 
fast in advance of the others. As soon as the com- 
modore had given the signal by means of the flag- 
language, one could see the marines and the sailors 
on the men-of-war practice fully armed and equipped 
and with such great zeal carry on a naval battle 
exercise as certainly cannot be shown any better in a 
real battle. By means of bags of sand the decks 
were protected against cannon shot from the side; 
back of these, men with muskets; at different places 
the auxiliary troops; at the middle mast the chief 
sentry; between the masts a sort of pile structure for 
defense was built up to accommodate smaller cannon 
and soldiers; with uncommon dexterity the artillery 
was managed ; and at last the sailors with lances and 
other like weapons hurried on deck to drill for defense 
in order to prevent the enemy from mounting the 
ship. 

With many a change of wind and weather, of calm 
and turbulent sea, of joyous or anxious feeling, the 
great sandbanks of New Foundland were reached on 
the 20th of June. - 

A mighty sea of breakers indicates the location of 
these sandbanks; upon their precipitous rocky walls 
covered forty fathoms liigh by the sea, the restless 
ocean waves are beating and are with a like force 
repelled. The winds go howling over them; dense, 
cold fogs always cover these regions. In order to 
warm the ships against colliding, the drums, foghorns 

19 



and ship bells were resounding day and night on all 
ships. In order to prevent their being separated 
too far from one another a cannon shot was fired 
every half hour on the commodore's ship. Never- 
theless many ships drifted from their course; four- 
teen of them were found by a fire ship and conducted 
to Halifax. For three or four days the ships re- 
mained in the vicinity of the sandbanks. The many 
phenomena seen there increased the astonishment of 
the ordinary man concerning the wonders of the sea, 
which had here appeared to him: the whale, swim- 
ming majestically; and the spongy mass polyps, 
scarcely with the organization of a living creature; 
multitudes of porpoises, which pursued with amusing 
leaps out of the water the course of the flying fish, 
and the latter then fell down upon the decks, where 
they found a more certain death; shoals of dolphins, 
which followed the ships with their glittering colors, 
and often were reached by the harpoon or other 
weapon thrown at them; in the dark night countless 
brilliant, fiery stripes, generated by a school of fishes 
swiftly passing through the waters; turtles, caught 
for the tables of the gentlemen; whole swarms of 
wild ducks; above all the enormous quantity of cod 
fish, which had caused several fleets of French, 
British and Norwegian fishing smacks to be gathered 
here, and now enriched the kitchens of the army 
fleet. 

On the 25th of June the sandbanks were left 
20 



behind and from the damp, biting cold, against which 
even the protection of a fur mantle was of no avail, 
the expedition experienced a warm, beautiful day 
and soon again many changes of weather. The 
great number of whales now to be seen indicated the 
proximity of the coast of Nova Scotia. A green fir 
tree, which was floating on the waters, brought still 
more joyful tidings. The ever diminishing depth of 
the sea on July 3rd gave rise to the hope that yet 
before evening land would come into sight, but as 
heavy fogs and strong winds set in it became neces- 
sary to avoid the probable dangers by returning to 
the deeper ocean. Ever following a course of 
approaching and then leaving the coast, and experi- 
encing another heavy thunder storm, which tore the 
sails to pieces, it was with indescribable joy that the 
coast of Nova Scotia came to view on the 7th at 
break of day. As soon as the anchoring place of 
Halifax was reached the commodore signaled to the 
fleet to gather and sail before the wind. Now those 
ships came along and rejoined the fleet which had 
become lost in the fogs and had anchored several 
days previously in the harbor. They greeted the 
commodore with fifteen shots and he replied with 
eleven. From these ships much information was 
gained, and especially did they bring joyful news 
about the ship Malaga, which had become totally 
lost to all appearances in the Whitsuntide storm, and 
which with all on board, a company of the life-guards, 

21 



under Captain Waldenberg, had already been given 
up as lost. Its bowsprit was gone and it had suffered 
considerable damage too, but it had had the good 
fortune to bring to Halifax a French ship which was 
carrying munitions of war to the Americans. A 
reward of 2,000 pounds sterling had been granted to 
the commander and his troops — but in course of 
time this was paid out to the commanders of the 
English men-of-war. Having joined the great 
British fleet it had followed the commander in chief. 
General Howe, to the new rendezvous of the squad- 
ron and of the army. 

Howe had already begun his career with blunders 
and perplexities. He had been selected through an 
unfortunate vote conducted by his party and so 
was entrusted with an affair, the nature of which 
demanded, in the midst of the transactions of con- 
siderate love, the speediest progress of arms and the 
greatest decision of character. Instead of leaving 
Boston, the firebrand of the war, so important 
because of its location, either not at all, or at such 
an early time that the state of New York which was 
still chiefly loyal could be saved, he started for 
Halifax so inopportunely, that meanwhile the power 
of the Congress was made felt in New York, and 
prepared there the strongest defence; Howe finally 
made Rhode Island his destination, and changed his 
mind during the trip, and at last aimed for New 
York, when the commodore, William Hotham, col- 

22 



lected before Halifax the previously given sealed 
orders from the several ship captains and had desig- 
nated Rhode Island as the new destination, a frigate 
brought the again changed instruction to fix as ren- 
dezvous the lighthouse of Sandy Hook. 

The joy of immediate landing after so long a voy- 
age, which had even become highly disagreeable 
towards the close, was now gone. The various 
changes as to their destination, the unfavorable 
weather, poor sailing vessels, which oftentimes had 
to be taken in tow by the war vessels, and the diffi- 
culty to keep together such a fleet, always in danger 
of hostile attack, all combined to lengthen the voy- 
age to 100 days, which was even at that time very 
rare, and now could be of incalculable advantage to 
the cause of the Americans. With an unfavorable 
wind the fleet started; the eyes of everybody were 
directed to the green coast and the undulating hilly 
background. During the night the sharp glow of 
the Halifax lighthouse accompanied the troops, 
until, like a star gradually fading away, it at last 
disappeared from view. 

On the evening of the 8th of July the fleet halted. 
The ship Spring had, by means of a signal of distress 
^nd four cannon shots, indicated that it was in the 
greatest danger. All men-of-war approached it. 
They learned that the sailors had mutinied, where- 
upon these were arrested, and then exchanged for 
others. With a changeable wind the fleet continued, 

23 



now tacking, now sailing. To one of the ships the 
threatening, gigantic cone of a water spout ap- 
proached, yet it escaped the danger of being over- 
come by its great deluge of water; elsewhere the so- 
called St. Elmo's Fire appeared at the tops of the 
masts, feared as an apparition of a warning spirit; 
then on the night of the 11th to the 12th of July the 
sky and the ocean met, the spectacle of a most fear- 
ful thunder storm. The ships kept at a great dis- 
tance from each other, drew in their sails, and while 
generally on the commodore's ship the light signal 
was burning, now on all ships the lanterns could be 
seen unlit, vibrating in the deepest darkness; the 
clouds at night gave forth a most violent hailstorm; 
the terrible waves roared and piled themselves up 
into great fiery-looking mountains, the lightning 
flashed and quivered in the air, now and then splinter- 
ing the top of a mast. With thunder on all sides and 
fearful in the expectation of the approaching storm, 
the soldiers sank down in silent resignation and the 
crew remained during the whole night on deck in 
anxious agitation and work. In the morning there 
arose a strong wind which tore to pieces the sails on 
several ships, but it also dispersed the storm clouds. 
Then, on the 14th, a calm set in, and from the ships 
there resounded the hjnnns of the Sunday services, 
but dense fog and continuous rains occurred and the 
vibrations of the ship became in the calm ever 
greater. All at once there was a great outcry in the 

24 



fleet: Two ships, the Hartley (with Knyphausen 
soldiers under Captain von Biesenrod) and Lord 
Sandwich (on board of which was Colonel von 
Wurmb and a part of the life guards) could be seen 
colliding because of the great waves, causing each 
other considerable damage, and, thereupon, the ship 
Henrietta, with the Union, (upon which there was 
Colonel von Herringen and a section of the regiment 
of Losberg) could be seen likewise driven against 
each other. Alternately heaving and sinking the 
upper ship always appeared as if threatening destruc- 
tion to the lower one, until the Union hoisted out a 
boat which, then, by means of a rope thrown over the 
bowsprit, pulled the Henrietta away. After a few 
agreeable days there followed on the 19th of July 
very stormy weather, the sea was in a most furious 
rage, sails ripped apart, but the ever agile activity of 
the sailors at the time of such accidents, was always 
ready with instant relief and reparation. As a spider 
that moves about as swiftly as the arrow in her web, 
so the sailors were going up and down the rope lad- 
ders of the masts and through the rigging, hanging 
only at their feet, tieing the tackle and binding the 
sails. Then there followed days and nights too hot to 
be endured, with heavy thunder storms; sleepless and 
famishing for a little fresh air, the soldiers came even 
in the night time on deck; the longing for the land 
grew hour by hour. 

This most tedious voyage had given full play to the 
25 



development of diseases. The most careful clean- 
liness, the daily scrubbing of the decks, the frequent 
cleaning of the cabins and rooms, the washing and 
the disinfecting with steaming vinegar, the pumping 
in of fresh air, and the airing of the bedding on decks: 
all this belonged to the general health regimen, yet 
the effect of the restrained, often unnatural physical 
exercises, and improper food, was not to be sup- 
pressed. While to many a Hessian the ship became 
his first cradle, without granting unto him in its 
hasty course a place which he could call his birth- 
place, there were others, who, deceased, were buried 
at the bottom of the sea, the Ensign von Stedel of the 
Regiment von Donop, among the first victims. 
Scurvy was developed as a result of tainted humors, 
for which the drinking of sea water was used as a 
medicine, and also the chewing of tobacco, which the 
Hessians had learned from the sailors and later kept 
up as a habit in their own homes. The disease 
reigned supreme, however, and many individuals 
suffered for a long time yet after the disembarkation 
from paralyzed limbs, and some even died. There 
was a lack of the most necessary things. The food 
supplies provided for by the officers themselves were 
exhausted, even the rations of zwieback were cut 
down to only 17 loth (83^ oz.) a day. The water, 
which in the whole fleet had been stored in new oaken 
casks, became undrinkable and finally putrid. The 
beds of the soldiers were broken up in the storms, 

26 



camp kettles and canteens were smashed, tents, 
clothing apparel, even the cartridges had been 
destroyed by the rats, which finally had even gnawed 
through the water casks; all of these troubles more 
or less were suffered by most of the transport ships. 

Meanwhile a much wished for wind filled the sails, 
and the ever more and more anxious, but daily dis- 
appointed hope, now at last to see New York, grew 
upon its wings; yet the wind on the 30th of July 
became so strong that the sails had to be drawn in, 
the rudders bound fast, and the ships left to the 
shattering blows of the waves, which roaringly 
dashed and resounded about the ships. As soon as 
the storm had subsided the commodore by means of 
the cannon shots gathered together the scattered 
fleet and gave instructions for a changed course in 
order to avoid being driven against the near coast, 
but, unfortunately, the ships came into a strong con- 
trary current, the water again became high and tur- 
bulent, it rained and lightened incessantly, masts 
toppled over, as was the case on the Friendship which 
had on board 200 members of the Regiment Crown 
Prince, besides Colonel von Hachenberg. Sailors and 
ship carpenters found everywhere enough to do, until 
finally a favorable strong wind on the 4th of August 
fortunately blew the fleet out of the current. On the 
10th of August the fleet offered an excellent and very 
hopeful appearance as it, in a most speedy wind, with 
high towering sails, was cutting its course through the 

27 



little waves. On the 11th, at the hour of noon the 
happy signals indicating the sight of land were to be 
seen. Soon the charming coast of Long Island came 
into the view of all and great shouts of joy were wafted 
across the waters towards it from this swimming city. 
Carefully did the fleet tack during the night because 
the water was becoming ever more shallow. On the 
next morning, the 12th of August, an English squad- 
ron of 24 vessels was seen from the ocean and this, 
after a few hours, united with the fleet, following 
the mutual greeting by means of a definite number 
of shots. Among the new arrivals was also Major 
General von Mirbach with the troops which also 
belonged to the first Hessian Division, and which 
did not take to the transport ships at Bremerlehe 
until four weeks after the embarkation of Heister, 
and then had waited for a favorable wind. 

Now the English flag was unfurled on all ships; 
Sandy Hook came into sight with its white lighthouse, 
immediately thereupon Staten Island, and a veritable 
painting spread itself out before the eyes of these 
newcomers, most charming after so many dangers had 
been encountered and after so long a denial of a glance 
on the beautiful smiling landscapes, teeming with 
inhabitants, exalted and majestic, the shores studded 
with troops, the tents of a friendly and a hostile camp, 
of a forest of masts of 500 ships, and the many hun- 
dred boats which so vigilantly were watching the 
hostile shores — here a belligerent power assembled, 

28 



such as America had never seen before in order to 
have a combat, which in the destiny of the world 
gave its immeasurable decision. 

Extract from the Diary of the German Poet and Adven- 
turer, J. G. Seume, a Hessian Soldier 
and Participator^ on the Voyage > 

On the English transporter we were pressed and 
packed like salted herrings. To save room the deck, 
low as it was, had been partitioned off, and we lay- 
instead of in hammocks, in these bunks, one row 
above the other. The deck was so low that a grown 
man could not stand upright, and the bunks not high 
enough to sit in. These bunks were intended to 
hold six men each but after four had entered, the 
remaining two could only find room by pressing in. 
The situation was, especially in warm weather, 
decidedly not cool : for one man to turn from one side 
to the other alone was absolutely impossible, and to 
lie on one's back was an equal impossibility. The 
straightest way and the hardest edge were necessary. 
After having roasted and sweated sufficiently on one 
side, the man v/ho had the place to the extreme right 
would call: round about turn! and all would simul- 
taneously turn to the other side, then having received 
quantum sabis on this one the man to the left would 
give the same signal. The maintainance was on an 
equal scale. Today bacon and peas — peas and bacon 

29 



tomorrow. Once in a while this menu was broken 
by porridge or peeled barley, and as an occasional 
great feast by pudding. This pudding was made of 
musty flour, half salt and half sweet water and of 
very ancient mutton suet. The bacon could have 
been from four to five years old, was black at both 
outer edges, became yellow a little farther on and 
was white only in the very centre. The salted beef 
was in a very similar condition. The biscuits were 
often full of worms which we had to swallow in lieu 
of butter or dripping if we did not want to reduce 
our scanty rations still more. Besides this they 
were so hard that we were forced to use canon balls 
in breaking them into eatable pieces. Usually our 
hunger did not allow us to soak them, and often 
enough we had not the necessary water to do so. 
We were told (and not without some probability of 
truth) that these biscuits were French, and that the 
English, during the Seven Years' War had taken 
them from French ships. Since that time they had 
been stored in some magazine in Portsmouth and 
that they were now being used to feed the Germans 
who were to kill the French under Rochambeau and 
Lafayette in America — if God so wotted. But 
apparently God did not seem to fancy this idea much. 
The heavily sulphured water lay in deep corrup- 
tion. After a barrel had been hoisted up and opened, 
the deck was pervaded by a conglomeration of very 
evil odours indeed. It was full of worms as long as 

30 



a finger and had to be filtered through a cloth before 
it could be drunken. And even then it was danger- 
ous to breathe above it. Rum and sometimes a 
little strong beer helped to make it somewhat more 
drinkable. 

Herded together in this manner, forced to breathe 
putrid air, to eat bad food and to drink foul water, 
these youths, old men, students, merchants and 
peasants, many of them but insufficiently clothed, 
were tossed about for months upon the Atlantic. 

Many of the sufferings undergone by us on this 
voyage were no doubt unavoidable, and many of the 
recruits were used to a hard life — nevertheless, many 
of the things they endured were the result of an 
intentional deficiency of care taking and of a great 
greed. 

What can be said of the British Quartermasters- 
Department which sent these people to sea without 
proper food and drink? What of the Duke of Bruns- 
wick who sent his subject to Canada without durable 
boots or stockings and without overcoats? Often 
enough have men borne a hard life cheerfully, 
because they knew the why and wherefore, but these 
poor fellows suffered on account of a quarrel which 
was not their own, suffered only that their masters 
might pay their debts or enjoy new pleasures. 



31 



-p / yy . 



D 



